Only Hope
by Lavenderpaw
Summary: What could mean saving the world,could also mean sacrificing both Jake and Rose's relationship...from ever existing.Some aspects based off of my other story Wolf's Bane.
1. Chapter 1

**A/N:**Why this isn't really a sequeal,there are some aspects from my story Wolf's Bane.You may want to refer to it if you get lost.

_',' I give you my destiny. ','_

I.

"We got a lock on it,"Haley said into her four-way walkie-talkie as she and Sun came upon the black creature."Were going in."

"Okay,but don't too close.Just enough to start cornering it."Fu responed from his and Laoshi's place some place in the harbor.

"That's a big ten-forty,good buddy."Spud said in his CB lingo.

"Uh,Spud,that's ten-four."Haley corrected him wryly.

"Roger that!"

"Try cornering out on the dock."Her brother suggested."From what I saw it was some kind of cat so it wouldn't get very far."

"Jake,it's a _big _cat."she said nervously as she and Sun came upon it running along a boat rental shop."And_ big _cats swim."

"Do you have to be miss know-it-all about eveything?Sheesh!"

"Haley,take up technique Sugar Heart."Sun instructed her and both dragonesses instantly branched off in the other direction.

The culprit in question had robbed a potion store in the Magus Bazzar and had made a break for it long before Jake could be contacted.This had lead the rest to fan out and comb the city.

Sprites near Central Park had spotted the elusive black puma and since then they had been hot on the trail of the speed cat.

Oddly no one below seemed to mind the rushing feline or even notice it as it had moved along the cement strips plainingly for everyone viewing.Only magical creatures seemed to catch sight.

Now,it neared the end of the Hudson harbor pier.

Haley and Sun Park arched out from each other just above the open water.When the two looked back to see the cat was now in the center of their space,both dragons made a large swoop.

The two flew more speedily as the puma reached the very end of the dock and halted.From this angle Haley could see that it appeared to be deciding something,it turned to glare her way.

It's eyes pierced a dangerous amber that caused Haley to go in the opposite direction,there was something unwordly about the cat's glare.She had to flap backwards crazily to begin stopping.

A satisfaction seemed to overwhelm the puma and it dove into the bay with a shining red and silver object clasped inside it's mouth.Sun reached out to steady the slightly trembling dragon girl as they paused for a resounding splash affect;none came.

"Did you see those eyes?"Haley asked warbly."I should have been all right,but it was like they both pinned me.They're evil."

"It is an odd case."

"It's not just odd,there's something very wrong about that cat."

"But it's gone now,"Sun tried comforting,squeezing her arm in reassurance.The two gazed over the edge slowly together,but there was nothing and through the slits in the docks nothing.It was like what they had all been chasing had never been there.

x.x.x

Rose smiled as Jake approached her,it had been a very long two weeks since she had seen him last.He came up to give her a red tulip and a peck on the cheek before turning to open his locker.

"Hey,haven't seen you in a while."

"A long while,"she sighed,taking a book out."Mom's still getting some counseling,but for the most part things are normal again."

"With us,nothings normal."Jake attempted joking,then sighed.

"Everything okay?"her hands fingered the petals."Nice flower."

"Yeah,I tried to make sure it didn't have any thorns this time."

"Tulips don't have thorns,hon."she laughed."But thanks just the same.It's lovely.Are you sure that everything else is okay,Jake?"

"Sure,"he gave her a grin and was about to go into his smooth talk when something stopped him."No...everything's not okay."

"I'm listening,"Rose said patiently.

"Well,it's about what's not happening.It seems like all we ever do is get separated,even since the whole Huntsclan thing there hasn't seemed to be all that much time we can spend together."

"Bethany was a shocker,"she agreed with him as she closed her locker as he did."But it's something that couldn't be helped.She has her place helping diabled magical creatures now and a place with Nigel here in the city.It's over and done with Jake,now we-"

The splitting noise of the bell cut into their conversation and the students fairly ran to their classrooms in a frenzy,speaking loud.

"Let's talk after school."Jake tried shouting above the sound,but Rose caught his arm as he started away and when he turned to look back at her she knew she could not promise him one thing.

"We'll talk later then."

And even then Rose knew she could not promise him that there would not be something else to get between them and it made her feel like kicking her locker closed;Things were never normal.

Even after Jake's wish at the Aztec Pantheon which should have resolved everything.But in fact only served to further complicate.

II.

"Do you have the compass of Hades?"The voice demanded.

"Of course,"Replied the feminie black puma as she arrived on top of the gargoyle-ringed rooftop."Taking on your image was quite easy,avoiding the American Dragon proved a bit more difficult."

"No trouble?"It's deep voice pressed.

"None whatsoever."Chang chuckled as the black magic she had possessed slipped from her body in one big shadow mass went over to consume the otherwise disembodied voice."Child's play."

"Then there's only the matter of recapturing the other quarter of my powers and then moving on to the last half."Michtlan spoke more to himself then to the violet dragoness."I've been here all day absorbing the raw negativity and hatred around this area."

"Ah,yes,"she quipped."I can feel it too."

"Not like that!"The deity snapped as it molded itself into the form of a black puma."There was a great loss here.It's a shame I do not reap the souls of humans.The negativity here is so delicious and just enough to give me strength.Now,you will follow mortal.

I sense that some of my power residing across New York city."

With that,the solid image sank to the ground and moved across the building with Chang following overhead.It had come to her with the promise of helping eliminate humankind and making her it's queen.Something the Dark Dragon had failed at many times.

She didn't know how exactly,other then the fact that this was a last ditch effort for magical creature preeminence.Her last hope.

To be continued...


	2. Chapter 2

I.

Rose made her way down the busy city blocks that afternoon with rush hour as it's peak,her home just another block or so.

Jake's words kept stumbling around in her mind from earlier that day and he was right.How could they be together when it felt like they were destined to be apart?They tried making it work all the time,but there was always something in the way.

_And it seems since I've gotten my 'normal' life,it's been just as hard.Sometimes moreso,_she sighed as she was coming upon the corner to her street._Maybe we just need some time apart._

Rose knew from experience how badly that had went before. It seemed that the only reasonable solution would be to end things permenately.Of course,that would never come to pass.

_It'll be fine,as long as nothing else happens that's magical that could come between us_.Even as she thought this she knew it was not possible.Suddenly,a low moan caught her attention.

Wondering if someone was hurt,she stepped only into the entrace of the nearest alleyway.Her back was to the people that streamed by her in total ignorance to the unusual noise.

"Hello?"She asked as kept parallel to the wall a foot.As Rose inched her way toward the cluttered back,she felt something cold land on her temple and trickle down."Ecck!What in the..."

Realizing it a spittle,she immediately wiped it off while trying to keep a calm front.That's when the moan from before came again only to manifest itself into a growl that chilled her spine.

Rose jerked her head up in time to catch the sight of a giant, jet black cat over her on the lowest part of a fire escape.The thought of escaped zoo animal was clearly dismissed when a startling intelligent intent became prominent in it's large eyes.

Eyes so dark brown they were almost black.

It watched her patiently with all four paws clasping onto the handle,it's tail as large as a thick rope swishing side-to-side as it narrowed it's lustful orbs and reached down to grab her.

The cat did little but move forward,apparently thinking that it would be an easy catch.Rose flipped erect up on her palms as the cat came down and landed square into her upturned feet.

She struggled under the weight of it's stomach and had to get out from under it quickly before being caught under it.The cat snagged the back of her shirt and threw her against the wall.

"Uhh!"

"So your not the one we want,"A voice,neither masculine nor feminie,spoke."But you do know of her whereabouts.Where?"

Rose's answer to that was to have her back to it,golden hair down over her face to try concealing herself.The cat let out a grunt of amusement and lifted another claw to strike the girl.

At the last moment,she ducked as razor marks were lift on the brick wall and connected a swift right hook to the cat's jawline as one of several pressue points that most large feline's had.

It shook it's large head a bit while Rose took off.She could feel the anger welling up in the cat and the tension that thickened the air.There was a moment of silence and it moved after her.

It would have been difficult otherwise to navigate garbage so accumulated in the center of the alleyway,but Rose found the motivation to scramble over it only to be halted by a tall fence.

_If only I had thought to bring my bolt cutters_.Rose ascended up to find that the top was fringed with barbed wires and that it was a fruitless attempt.Without choice,she landed back down.

As the giant cat ripped it's way through an already tarnished sofa,she spotted a long pole next to her feet.Giving a smirk of triumph,Rose kicked it up and pressed back against the fence.

She patiently waited for the cat to jump at her before making a plunge forward.The combined collision of the cat's speed and her descending pole sent the big cat staggering back as it was ramroded right in between the eyes by the driving force.

The attack could of cracked the front of a human's skull,but it had just enough force to make the large cat stumble about in a state of dizziness.Rose used this opportunity to move away.

Another figuring glance up at the barbed wire and she caught sight of the other side of the fire escape.Climbing back up the fence,Rose caught the metal corner and hoisted herself on to the outside of the fire escape.There she made a gigantic leap.

Over the barbs before landing on top of a closed dumpster in sight,and using it like a trampoline before landing on the other floor of the alleyway.She turned hastefully to run from the cat.

It released an enraged roar and Rose heard as it lunged it's body against the fence.There were a few heavy pants and a strange sort of fluid sound made her whip back around to see that the cat was actually melting right before her azure eyes.

The cat's features molded away and it's body oozed onto the floor to make a puddle.Rose stepped back as it moved under the fence and resurfaced as a bubbling,inky mass of nothing.

She stifled a scream as a volley of flames barricaded her and the shapeless glob,which quickly redefined itself back into it's original shape as the American Dragon came swooping down.

"Jake!"

"Now I know you weren't about to attack my woman..."he told the large cat as he sent a final enormous fire ball it's way."You have another thing comin' if you're thinkin' that pussy cat:me."

"Where is it!"The cat hissed loudly."Where is our power!"

The red dragon ignored his demand completely and grabbed a hold on the fire escape.Bending it to his whim,he flew down to it's level and caught the snarling feline beneath twisted metal.

"There,"he smelt the sides and ends."Fire escape _that_."

Both Rose and the cat only stared at him.

"What?It's a play on words sort of thing."

As the cat head-butted the contraption to no avail,Jake moved over to her.There was some familiar guilt gleaming in his eyes as he approached,and that's when it became apparent for her.

They knew each other,completely.It did take some time for the two to figure out what the other one thought and felt,but that is what they both were in the end.Two halves of a whole self.

A whole person.

"Rose,I was thinking about our talk earlier..."

She reached up to catch his muzzle in her hands and raised to her toes in order to kiss full on the mouth.Jake took her hands in his claws and smiled at Rose when he got what she meant.

The bars rattling made them look over at the cat;it was gone.

"Did you know anything about that puma?"Rose inquired.

"No,we were chasing it around this morning,"he encircled her body in his arms and took air."Fu might've a lead on it at the-"

"Jake..."she slipped out of his grasp."I need to get home.Mom is probably already worried sick as it is and I hate doing that."

"But if that thing comes for you again..."He let it trail.

"Kid,there you are!"

They turned to see Fu scampering up to them,he was panting with a thick volume in his mouth and Lao shi flying above him.

"Remember that crazy cat that stole the compass of Hades?"

"How can I forget?"Jake responded hotly."We just fought'im."

"It turns out this cat is bad news."his eyes darkened."When I say bad news,I mean _bad _news.That cat is a symbol of unholy power in the making,the magical devil itself believe me or not."

"Gramps,what's this thing want and why is it after Rose?"

"We don't have time for queries,"The elder dragon said as he motioned Jake to take flight,picking up Fu Dog."We need to get to Drace Isle as soon as possible and speak with the council."

"I have to stay."Rose reminded Jake when he reached for her.

"You were a target,"Lao shi observed."And because we do not know why we may need you along.Your safety is in jeopardy."

She nodded in consent."Okay,but my mom will need to come."

The idea of leaving her mother behind was one thing,the idea of leaving her behind in fear for Rose and possibly in danger as well was another thing.It was entirely impossible to shield her normal life from her life involved with magic as she had wished.

Jake's wish for a _normal_ life for Rose was never meant to be.

To be continued...


End file.
